Cottonwood Chronicle

Two lectures to be held in April

The St. Gertrude’s Museum Spring Lectures will be held on two Thursdays in April. Light refreshments are provided, and the events are free and open to the public. They are held in the Johanna Room at Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude.
April 3rd at 3:30 p.m. – Keith Petersen presents, “400 Idaho Stories: The Historical Highway Marker Program”
Idaho’s historical highway marker program dates to the 1950s, one of the nation’s oldest. The markers are found in every corner of the state. They tell unique Idaho stories—100 words at a time. Some refer to the markers as “Idaho’s Outdoor Museum.” To commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Idaho State Historical Society and Idaho Transportation Department are adding 100 new markers to the program. New stories, ranging from the history of submarine testing on Lake Pend Oreille to the story of St. Gertrude’s Monastery will be added to existing signs about Lewis and Clark, the Nez Perce War, and hundreds of other topics.
Keith Petersen is the former Idaho State Historian. He retired in 2015, but “unretired” to write text for new markers. He will discuss the history of the highway markers program, and highlight some of the people, places, and events to be featured in new markers. Petersen is the author of several books about Idaho, including Inventing Idaho: The Gem State’s Eccentric Shape, John Mullan: The Tumultuous Life of a Western Road Builder, and Company Town: Potlatch, Idaho, and the Potlatch Lumber Company. He and his wife, Mary Reed, assisted in developing the exhibits at the Historical Museum at St. Gertrude.
April 24th at 3:30 p.m. –Jerry Johnson presents, “Exploring a “pocket” history of early Idaho County.”
What if a deck of playing cards could give us a glimpse into a different time period and educate us regarding our past? The Idaho County Vintage playing card deck was a joint venture between Jerry Johnson and the Museum of St. Gertrude. The project was also a recipient of an Idaho Council of Humanities grant, which allowed the historical deck to be placed into Idaho County 4th-grade classrooms. Biographies of the deck’s royalty (early Idaho County residents) will be discussed as well as other general facts related to the deck, its publication and early Idaho County history.
A life-long resident of north-central Idaho, Jerry Johnson has enjoyed exploring and studying Idaho County’s geography and history since childhood. He has edited and published several books on local history, and recently teamed with the Museum of St. Gertrude in publishing a deck of playing cards that features people, and fun items of interest from the early years of Idaho County’s formation. Since this latest project handily fits on one’s pocket, Johnson now considers himself a “pocket” historian.

On April 3, Keith Peterson will talk about the Historical Highway Marker program in a lecture at the Spirit Center. Shown above is one of those located near Cottonwood.

Shown above is a deck of cards featuring historical figures from Idaho County. On April 24, Jerry Johnson will talk about these and other historical items.